I’m sure they did the math and decided it was worth the risk. I’m used to politicians hiding behind “it’s just not the right time, it’s an election year, etc.,” so this is rather refreshing. Haters gonna hate anyway, so fuck 'em.
There was an editorial in the Post today that said, basically, it’s not fair to your base to wink-wink-not-quite-support the issue with an implicit “get me elected and then I’ll do it.” They deserve to know where you stand before they vote for you.
Meanwhile, on twitter:
Suggestions for Biden: I’m absolutely comfortable with marijuana; I’m absolutely comfortable with single-payer health care
Hear that thumping sound? I do declare it is the sound of bibles!
Call me cynical, but I doubt that Biden business was a slip-up at all. If people had squawked, he could just shake his head and say, That’s our Joe! Instead he can announce his courageous stance while we yawn and wonder why the hell he dragged his feet to begin with.
The Biden quote struck me as a floating a trial balloon. Doubly so now.
Would not surprise me at all if this is exactly what was going on behind the scenes.
Cynical…maybe a bit, but then we get the system we ask for. Trial balloons are de rigeur in politics at that level.
I’m pleased to see this. Personally, I wish the government wasn’t involved in the marriage business at all. It just seems so…bizarre.
Can you get gay married if you’re not gay? It seems only fair
Why not? What goes on in your bedroom, or doesn’t go on, is your business.
The strange part is, Romney hasn’t taken credit for it yet.
As a downside, this may spawn a whole new cycle of terrible bromance movies.
I liked James Fallows quick reaction:
This is a field where I understand the concept of “evolution.” When I was a school kid, in the small-town America of the 1950s and 1960s, I had many gay friends – but of course didn’t know that, because it was undiscussable at the time. I am painfully embarrassed at thinking of the commonplace fag/queer jokes and schoolyard taunts of that time, but of course not as pained as my friends who had to laugh along with them.
I’m not as old as he is, but even in my mid-Generation X upbringing, being called queer or fag was a pretty deadly insult and gay jokes were common. Turns out I knew quite a few people who ended up being gay, and they’ve taken a lot of shit over the years.
The idea of a guy from Obama’s generation having trouble “evolving” isn’t that insane, even though we assume it’s all for show and politics.
No, I have no problem with a guy from Obama’s generation having an evolving appreciation for gay rights. But when that man is the President of the United States, these decisions all come with consequences and I am absolutely certain have been carefully considered and vetted before speaking.
He’s too busy pointing out what a flip-flopper Obama is on this issue instead of standing with him and doing the right thing.
I have no doubt that is true. In fact I think it is safe to say that Obama had concluded that it was to his benefit to come out of the closet and to own the issue. Maybe he was just trying to appease many of those on the left who feel he had let them down. Of course those people would not be switching to Romney anyway.
And why are you convinced he’s lying now vs. lying then?
Either way, he’s just playing what he considers the best political move at the time. He did it 4 years ago, and now the media has been making a huge deal about his refusal to talk about his stance, his PR guy (who must be one of the most incompetent WH press officers of all time - what is it about Obama that he has a press officer who can’t speak in public or handle questions from the press, and a chief lawyer who can’t speak in front of the SC?) was gutted by the press at his latest press briefings, the pressure on Obama was huge. So he calculates this is the most politically expedient move.
Glad to see him make the statement, but not gonna pretend he suddenly had a moral epiphany.
I don’t think they’ll cling to the issue, but it will be just another thing that idiotic independents think about when they’re deciding the election.
That pressure would have faded as quickly as the news cycle would. The only reason it was a big deal was because of the NC amendment, then after people forgot about that nobody except the LGBT community would care. It certainly wouldn’t be a purely cynical political move if it meant possibly risking voters in key swing states, and completely demolishing him in the red-leaning states he had in play. Or if it was, it was a pretty shorted sighted one.
As JeffL says, it’s a complex issue. My own view on this has swerved on this a lot.
Overall, I really wish the government wasn’t involved. But there is a push pull on whether marriage should be treated as its own specific definition versus civil unions.
I do think it’s a bit ridiculous that the laws are based on…human biological relationships one way or another. This is why I think you humans should all be liquidated.
Because “Hooray gay marriage” is the logical opinion for someone with his history and his position to hold. Clinton at least had the excuse of being way older.